My Mindful Challenge? Harnessing Anger Behind the WheelArticles>Mental HealthBy The RanchMay 5, 2015I’ve been involved in mindfulness practices in some form or another for over 25 years. I dabbled in meditation related to my karate classes during high school, began studying yoga early in college, started teaching yoga in my mid-20s, and embarked on a study of Chinese martial arts in my late 20s which included tai… Details
Skipping Your Way to SobrietyArticles>Early RecoveryBy The RanchMay 2, 2015“Skip, skip, skip to my Lou. Skip to my Lou, my darling.” This song evokes my childhood. I remember dancing to its lively tune. Most children skip spontaneously and without abandon. But then they’re told — explicitly or otherwise — to grow up, settle down and curb their enthusiasm. Kids lose a bit of their… Details
What Do You Think “Average” Drinking Is?Articles>Alcohol Abuse and AlcoholismBy The RanchApril 30, 2015When it comes to many behaviors, people often don’t have an accurate idea of the choices that others are making. Teenagers may think that their fellow students use their seat belts less often than they actually do, and men who abuse their romantic partners may overestimate how many other men do the same. A new… Details
New Program Director to Head Women’s Eating Disorder Program at The RanchSM Treatment CenterArticles>NewsBy The RanchApril 28, 2015The RanchSM treatment center in Tennessee welcomes new program director Catherine Henricks to head its women’s eating disorders program. Details
Understanding of Mental Illness Increases, but Stigma RemainsArticles>Mental HealthBy The RanchApril 28, 2015Our understanding of mental illness has increased significantly over the past 15 to 20 years. Unfortunately, public attitudes about mental illness do not appear to have kept pace and, in some cases, have become less accepting than they were in the 1990s.
Problem Gamblers Should Be Screened for Personality DisordersArticles>Mental HealthBy The RanchApril 27, 2015The revelation that addicts often have underlying physical or mental health disorders does not exactly qualify as a shocker. Compulsive behaviors are often a coping mechanism for those who feel overwhelmed by the world and feel a desperate urge to escape from their troubles. But naturally those troubles only multiply when addiction develops, as obstacles… Details
Understanding ARFID: The Newest Eating DisorderArticles>Eating DisordersBy The RanchApril 26, 2015Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) may not be a new problem, but it is the newest form of disordered eating to be recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. ARFID was included for the first time in the DSM-5, which was published in May 2013. Disordered eating has been present in the… Details
Vermont’s Call to Action on the Heroin Crisis Echoes Across the CountryArticles>Drug AddictionBy The RanchApril 25, 2015Small but mighty, that’s the state of Vermont when it comes to confronting a formidable heroin and opiate addiction crisis. Its governor grabbed national attention a year ago with a State of the State address that focused almost entirely on the need to battle its heroin and opiate abuse problem.
Telltale Signs That You Are a Love AddictArticles>Sex AddictionBy The RanchApril 24, 2015What is more wonderful than falling in love? The delirious feeling of finding that special someone is written about in books and songs and movies. When you’re listening to music, you hear one song after another all about getting carried away with feelings of romantic love. Every day you see devoted couples on magazine covers… Details
Ketamine Quickly Targets DepressionArticles>Mental HealthBy The RanchApril 22, 2015The anesthetic ketamine, which first came into use for surgical procedures more than 40 years ago, may be successful at treating one of two “cardinal symptoms” of major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder.
